Victims Family Asks for Longest Sentence Possible for Defendant in 2020 Fatal Stabbing

By Jade Tabbs [former] - August 11, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Victims |

“Your honor, please give this punk man as much time as possible,” said the step-father of the victim during a sentencing hearing before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Lynn Stewart Mays on Aug. 9.

The defendant, Darius Williams, received a guilty verdict from the jury on May 4 for two of the charges he was facing in connection to an incident that occurred on the 2300 block of Westwood Avenue on June 25, 2020.

Defense attorney Linda Zeit described Williams, 36, as a “skilled carpenter” with a “non-violent history,” citing the fact that all of his previous charges have been drug possession misdemeanors and felonies. 

During the assistant state’s attorney’s statement, she said given the fact that the victim, 49-year old Eric Jones, was stabbed over 20 times, anything but the maximum amount of years allowed for the charges Williams was facing would be unsatisfactory

Judge Mays gave Williams the maximum sentence for a second-degree murder charge, 40 years. Along with this, Williams will also serve three years for having a deadly weapon on his person with the intent to injure. This sentence is to be served consecutively to the first charge for a total of 43 years in the Department of Corrections.

Judge Mays made it clear to Williams that she was “shocked” by the second-degree murder verdict in this case. She continued on and referred to Williams’ actions as “heinous” and “vicious.”